Malt-turning machine.



J. F. OBRIEN. MALT TURNING MACHINE. APPLICATION HLED mme. 191s.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

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IVLALT-TURNING MACHNE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lratented dan. 4t. i916.

Application filed April 2S, 1915. Serial No. 23,809.

To @ZZ fao/tom t may concern Be lrnown that l, JOHN F. OBinns, a citizen of the United States, residing at lfial ai, in the county of Miami and .State of Lhio, have invented certain new and u. al lniprorements in lialt-Turninp; Machines; and l do declare the following' to be a full, clear7 and enact description of the intention, such as will enable others skilled in trie art to which it appertains to make' and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying; drawings, and to the letters and heures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

rfhis invention relates to a machine for turning malt during` the process of germination. ln carrying` out such process malt is `spread upon floors and is constantly subjected to turning.

The object of the inventionis therefore to provide a machine for more eifectually doingv this class of Work and in an expeditious manner.

n furth object of the invention is to provide a machine that will turn the nialt on the floor Without bruising or damaging the saine; a machine of this character With that portion that engages the malt so constructed and arranged that it will adjust itself readily to the unevenness of the floor upon -ndiich the malt is spread.

lt is, therefore7 a further object to pro- `ride a machine of'this character which is free from a liability to breakage of the parts thereof which pass over the floor in turnine; the inalt.

rThese and other objects and purposes are accomplished by the machine, to be herein after described in connection with the acconipanyiira` drawings.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved malt turning' inachine with a portion of the frame of the machine broken away. Fig. Q is a front elevation of the machine.

ln the following description and in the accompanying' drawings, similar reference characters are employed to indicate coi'- rcsponding parts.

The frame Work of the Vehicle is of a suitable form and structure to meet the requirements of a machine of this character. lt consists of two side frames the rear pon tions l of 'which are elevated and the front portions 2 are dropped. These side frames so constructed are suitably joined by transverse frame members rlhe Vehicle frame so constructed is supported on tractors 4iand 5, the former being' the. Wheels which are connected through the steeringpost o to a hand wheel 7. The peripheries of these tractors are essentially reduced to a narrow tread in order that little or no crushing effect may be imparted to the malt in the oi'ieration of turning the same. A niotor S is suitably mounted on said frame on a convenient part and furnishes the motive power for the vehicle, said power being transmitted from the motor shaft 9 through suitable gearing)` and chains 10 to the axles 11 of the front tractors 5. rlhe chains 10 pass over chain Wheels 12 Which are rigidlymounted on the axles of said tractors. The axles of the tractors are suitably journaled in the dropped portions of the side frames 2. A series of turning' blades 13 are united upon a shaft lill by means of spiders 15 which are mounted on said shaft 1e. The shaft 141 has its bearings in side frames 1G, the upper ends of which are loosely hung' upon a driving shaft 17 which is driven from the motor through suitable gearing. The ends of the shaft 1st extend into slotted guides 29 that rigidly extend from the dropped portions of the side frames of the machine. The turning' blades 13 united by the spiders 15 and mounted on the shaft 14e constitute a malt turning' cylinder which passes over the malt as the machine is driven and effcctually turns the same. The turningcylinder is driven by a chain 1S from the shaft 17, said chain passingaround chain teeth 19 arranged on the periphery of one of the spiders 15. ris shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, the malt turning` cylinder may be elevated Wholly from the floor when it is desired to transport the machine to a point from which, it befrins its operation. ln thus elevating' the side frames 16 and therewith the turning' cylinder, the ends of the shaft 1-1 move upwardly in the slots in the guides 29, before referred to.

An important element of the machine constitutes the malt deflector blade 20 which lies close to the turning cylinder and has an eX- tension 21 that engages the ioor or the surface upon which the malt is spread and turns the same. This deflector is so constructed and mounted that it will accommodate itself to the variable conditions of the iioor and Will preventbreaking of the turning blades or their connected parts. rllhe said delector 20 is connected with the side iframes 1G o1 the turning cylinder by means of oblong slots 29 through which guide pins 23 pass from the ends oi the frame members 16. Owing to this connection, it Will be readily seen that the deiiector blade Q0 will yield or rise to any unerenness in the floor and will be maintained in contact with the floor. The said deilector blade is maintained in Contact With the floor by means oit compression springs 2i which inclose pins 25 extending from the detiector blade Q0 and having bearings at their upper ends in the extreme ends oi the side trames 1G. rihe compression springs 2a'- are of a cha 1acter that exert downward pressure on the detlector blade 910 Which is overcome only When the extended edge 2l of the blade engages unevenness or rises in the surface of the licor. lt will, therefore, be seen that the said detlector blade accommodates itseli1 to the condition ci the floor. lt extends approximately the length of the turning cylinder and lies immediately in front thereof. The frame members 16, together with the parts supported thereon, are elevated to the dotted position by means of cables 26 which e1;- tend from Windlasses 27 and pass over guide pulleys 30 supported on the guides 2S and have suitable connection With vthe ends of said `frames 1G. A crank handle 28 atlords convenient means for turning the wind lasses 27,

Having with more or less particularity described my invention, l do not wish it to be understood that in laying so much emphasis on details of construction that these are of vital importance. Such details may be varied to a greater cr less extent Wit-hout departing from the fundamental principles of my invention which constitutes new means for delicately handling malt spread upon a iioor during the germinating period and in turning said malt Without crushing or bruising the same.

Having described my invention, I claim,

l. In a machine of the character specified,

the combination oi a main Vehicle frame, and tractors up-on which said trame is supported having substantially narrow tread Dortions of a turninO c 7linder com arisinO a 3 b D Y series of blades arranged to engage the malt as the Vehicle passes thereover, a pivotal frame upon which said turning cylinder is mounted, and a detiector blade mounted ad jacent Vto said turning cylinder and parallel with the blades thereof, the mounting of said dei'lector cylinder being such as to permit of its vyielding and conforming to the surface over which it passes and upon which 'the malt is spread, substantially as specified.

2. ln a machine of the character specified,

keep it in contact with said surface, substantially as specified.

ln testimony whereof l aiiix my signature, in presence of tivo Witnesses.

Y JHN F. OBRLEN.

VWitnesses Cin-mma SMITH,

Foaansr C. SIMON.

opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

